A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the photocopy reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure in exactly the form it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
The present invention relates in general to a gaming device, and more particularly to a gaming device including the use of reels for multiple purposes, such as determining game outcomes and providing exhibitions.
The games in many existing gaming machines, such as traditional slot machines, are based upon the concept of spinning reels. The player initiates the spin of the reels, and where the reels stop determines whether a player wins credits and, if so, how many credits the player wins. When a player wins credits or when the game terminates, these gaming machines typically perform certain activities. For example, they often display the amount of credits earned, flash lights, make sounds or perform other activities in order to bring attention to the event and to entertain the player. These existing gaming machines do not use the reels to provide exhibitions to bring attention to game events.
To increase player enjoyment and excitement, it is desirable to provide players with new games for gaming devices which use reels to determine game outcomes and also to provide exhibitions in order to bring attention to events and to entertain players.
The present invention overcomes the above shortcomings by providing a gaming device and method which has a game wherein a plurality of reels, preferably video reels are used for two or more purposes. The reels are adjacent to one another, and each reel displays a plurality of indicia or symbols. Functionally, each reel spins, comes to a stop and displays symbols. The term display, as used herein, means to show, perform or otherwise represent a person, place or thing visually and/or audibly.
The symbols which are displayed on each reel in relation to each other form a combination of symbols. Preferably, certain combinations of symbols share a theme. For example, if all of the symbols are different types of airplanes, the theme could be airplanes or if all of the symbols are different types of fruit, the theme could be fruit.
Furthermore, when a player reaches certain events or combinations of symbols (hereafter referred to as xe2x80x9ctriggering combinationsxe2x80x9d), the game will provide certain outcomes, such as providing the player with credits or bonus credits, automatically spinning the reels, providing the player with the opportunity to gain credits or bonus credits, deducting credits or bonus credits from the player, terminating the game or otherwise generating a game event or determining the outcome of the game.
Preferably, before any of these outcomes occur, the computer of the gaming device uses the reels to perform certain exhibitions which are preferably related to the theme of the triggering combination. The term, exhibition as used in this specification means: (a) reels which are animated; and/or (b) an audio, visual or audiovisual representation of a person, place or thing in motion or at rest, including video images, graphics, activities, animations, virtual representations, simulations or movement. Animated reels are reels which have movement or simulated movement or reels which vibrate or shake, rotate, flip over, move upwards, downwards, or from side to side, bend, transform into a different shape or size, separate into different parts, expand or contract, change colors, shades or patterns, illuminate, make sounds or otherwise have dynamic characteristics. The computer can provide the exhibitions in one screen shot or in a succession of screen shots.
In operation, a player inserts money, coins, tokens or otherwise makes a payment to the gaming device. The computer then provides the player with credits which correspond to the amount of payment made. The player pushes a play button or other activator which causes the reels to spin. As long as the player has credits remaining, the game enables the player to repeatedly spin the reels until the player reaches a triggering combination.
When the player reaches a triggering combination, the computer uses the reels to perform an exhibition or replaces certain of the reels to perform an exhibition. If, for example, a triggering combination includes race cars, the computer could use the area of one or more reels to audiovisually exhibit a race car in motion. If, on the other hand, a triggering combination includes dynamite, one or more animated reels could explode into numerous parts as an exhibition. The computer could use this type of exhibition when a player runs out of credits.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing examples are merely illustrations and that the computer can use the reels to perform any exhibition of any kind for any purpose. It should also be appreciated that the gaming device can be adapted to use the reels to perform exhibitions before, during or after a triggering combination occurs or when the game begins or terminates.
Preferably, when the exhibitions are complete, the game provides the player with an outcome, such as providing the player with credits or bonus credits, automatically spinning the reels, providing the player with the opportunity to gain credits or bonus credits, deducting credits or bonus credits from the player, terminating the game or otherwise generating a game event or determining the outcome of the game. Which particular outcome occurs is predetermined and preferably programmed into the gaming device computer.
In one embodiment, the gaming device includes five video reels. Each reel, when not spinning, displays three symbols. As such, the reels display three rows of symbols. The game enables the player to obtain triggering combinations on several, and preferably nine lines. These lines extend from reel to reel, and they connect one or more symbols. The manner in which any particular line connects symbols is predetermined, preferably in the computer of the gaming device.
One of preferably several triggering combinations is a plurality of identical images of characters, and in one embodiment these images are characters such as elephants. When this triggering combination occurs, the gaming device provides the player with bonus spins as an outcome. Prior to providing this outcome, the computer combines the middle three reels into a display area and displays an exhibition such as an animated elephant for a limited amount of time.
After the exhibition is completed, the exhibition disappears, the three reels return to their original statexe2x80x94displaying the triggering combination. Then, momentarily, the reels move back and forth laterally to give the effect that the reels are vibrating or shaking. This shaking effect gradually increases in magnitude and is designed to simulate the vibration caused by the roaring, walking or running of an elephant.
After the reels shake, the game automatically spins the outer two reels, preferably in opposite directions. Preferably, the game automatically conducts this bonus spin three times. At the beginning of each bonus spin, the middle three reels exhibit the animated elephant momentarily, the middle three reels shake and then the outer two reels spin. At the end of each bonus spin, the player can gain bonus credits, preferably depending upon what symbols the reels exhibit when they stop spinning. After the bonus spinning is complete, the game provides the player with all bonus credits gained.
The game then enables the player to continue making spins, as long as the player has credits remaining. This process continues until the player runs out of credits or cashes out. After cashing out, the game awards the player with a payout which corresponds to the remaining credits.
In an alternative embodiment as an outcome, the gaming device provides the player with predetermined credits. Prior to providing the outcome, the computer combines the middle three reels into one screen shot and exhibits an animated elephant for a limited amount of time. Next, the game enables the player to make additional spins. This process continues until the player runs out of credits or cashes out.
Both embodiments preferably include one or more textual messages for the player. Preferably, the game displays these messages when a triggering combination occurs and when the game is providing the player with an outcome. Also, if the game enables the player to gain bonus credits, the game preferably displays a message at the end of the bonus spins.
In addition, both embodiments preferably include a line message corresponding to each line. The line message displays the numeric credits which the player decided to bet for the lines. Also, if the gaming device provides the player with bonus spins, the game preferably includes a bonus spin window. The bonus spin window begins by displaying a numeral which decreases by one each time a bonus spin is completed.
Preferably, the gaming device also includes a plurality of windows for providing information to the player and for entertaining the player. Also, the gaming device preferably includes a plurality of buttons for operating the game.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a gaming device with reels which are used to determine game outcomes and also to provide exhibitions to the player.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts, elements, components, steps and processes.